Help scientists this weekend by counting birds in your French garden

Residents in France are being asked to count the number of birds they spot in their garden this weekend (January 25 and 26) as part of conservation efforts. 

Established in 2012, the ‘Garden Bird Observatory’ takes place twice a year in January and May and helps scientists gather information about the number of birds in France during the wintering and breeding seasons. 

It is the largest coordinated scientific programme involving the general public in France, and is promoted by the Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux (LPO).

Participants are asked to spend one hour recording the birds they spot and then send off the information to scientists to help track avian patterns. 

In January 2024, over 17,000 people participated, helping scientists gather data on 547,000 birds across the country.

The Connexion covered the most recent event in May 2024, including an interview with Marjorie Poitevin, head of citizen science at the LPO. You can read more in our article below. 

Read more: France's spring garden bird-counting weekend

Sign up now to take part

To take part you need to sign up on the Oiseaux des jardins website. 

The site also has information for amateur birdwatchers and nature enthusiasts to help them learn about what birds they spot to accurately hand over information.

You will need to give details about your garden, such as its size and amenities (for example, if it has a pond). You can also record the information gathered in a public place, such as a small communal park. 

To take the information, you should set yourself up in the same location for the whole hour (a bench, porch, etc), and record the number of birds of each species you see. 

Once the hour is up, you should stop counting, and submit your information. A help guide for sending over the information is available from the LPO here. 

Read more: Letters: Biodiversity is in decline, but not just in France